Poor Slick. I wish he found a girlfriend, but since Tat hasn't given him any permanent character growth, and girls won't date a slightly pervy man-child (given the current mood of the comic)

I disagree completely on both those sentences. I know why you would think that and it makes some sense, but I don't think that it's true.

On one hand, Slick has changed A LOT. He went from a wannabe pimp that doesn't hesitate to sell his soul in order to obtain superficial things like meaningless sex, to a kinda insecure man that really tries to be a better person (mostly for his friends) and is in desperate need of a sentimental relationship, since he knows that it's something really missing in his life.

On the other hand, I do think that he has dating potential as he is now, but he's his own biggest obstacle since he does absolutely not think that. Check the fact that in the past he didn't hesitate to hit on random strangers, but at this point he probably got tired of rejection and decided that he probably didn't have it in him. That's probably the reason why he is 'cheating' his way into a relationship.

Reader1 stated that Slick's theme as a character is the battle between good and evil. I think he is right, but we can't ignore his other theme: The fruitless search for love.

Slick has always been "an insecure man in desperate need of a sentimental relationship, since he knew that it's something really missing in his life". He did the pimp thing because he thought that women would dig that, and because it helped to reinforce his weak self-steem.

He has mostly stopped doing the pimp-thing because it doesn't work, he knows women don't dig it, and it no longer helps his lack of self-steem, but he hasn't learned anything knew, leaving him sad, without confidence and without hope. He tried to use the wrong tool to do the job, but now he doesn't have any tool and he doesn't even try.

As for the soul-selling thing, he just has learned that it's a bad idea: The devil doesn't upheld his part of the deal. And I don't really like the devil twin thing...that doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

Slick has kind of hit a wall: It seems that Tat doesn't know what to do with him, but he doesn't dare to kill him because he used to be the main character and many people would be upset.

Let's go by parts. Clarification: This is just my interpretation and I might be wrong.

Slick wasn't desperate for love back then. He was desperate for sex. Tremendously different thing.

I really believe that he honestly thought of himself as a pimp. He wasn't really a "poser." He was confident in his own style. Not anymore.

"leaving him sad, without confidence and without hope. He tried to use the wrong tool to do the job, but now he doesn't have any tool and he doesn't even try." Do you think that is not learning anything new? That's a character turning point right there! Also as I said, I think that as he is now Slick does have the tools. He became a really good man that cares for his friends. Why do you think that he got an evil side? He was worthy of such a thing. The problem is that he doesn't KNOW about his tools. Realizing this would really change the character, even if I don't think that it would happen anytime soon.

I don't think that the not selling the soul to the devil thing is just him realizing that it was not going anywhere. He wants a relationship that he can get on his own and that would truly care for him. If you don't think that this strip is enough evidence check the one where he almost got a date with 'Nique and told the Devil that he wasn't needed anymore. That was both amazing and badass.

Most importantly, though, as a writer myself (not professional but very frequent) I can tell you that it's not a very nice thing to be told "the reason why you don't kill this character is because someone else would get pissed." If you even imagine that you could be wrong (I can imagine it well enough) don't write that. We have everything short of a direct confirmation that Tat reads this forum, even if he chooses not to write here.

EDIT: If you answer this please don't quote me. The quoting thing occupies a lot of space at this point

Maybe you are right. I just hope he does something with Slick, throw a bone at him or something. I'm tired of watching the poor little man being miserable and hopeless, I would like for something good to happen to him now and then.

See, what I get from this is that Slick was enjoying himself with his ersatz girlfriend until he listened to one word flung in his direction by a casual drive-by hater--who, it should be noted, had no such companion for herself, robotic or otherwise--whereupon he took action that resulted in his happiness fleeing from him in some sort of "reality" that has nothing to do with where Slick actually lives.

The moral of the story? That there is no story with a moral that can't be deliberately twisted to eventually mean exactly the opposite of the author's intent.
;-P~~~_________________I am only a somewhat arbitrary sequence of raised and lowered voltages to which your mind insists upon assigning meaning

"made of plastic and elastic
(s)he is rugged and long-lasting
who could ever ever ask for more
love without complications galore
many shapes and weights to choose from
i will never leave my bedroom
i will never cry at night again
wrap my arms around (her) and pretend...."

yeah, I thought that was really creepy, too, which is why I asked what the fuck they made those robots out of.

Ya'know, snarky Japanese otaku jokes aside, I was wondering the same thing. I mean, there's some pretty serious, pretty fucked up implications here. Tat's sayin' some deep shit with this and it seems to sadly be flying over a lot of people's heads._________________...if a single leaf holds the eye, it will be as if the remaining leaves were not there.http://about.me/omardrake